Will the Pandemic Be the End of Office Life as We Know It?

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

The New Yorker

Barack, Washington, Wickenden, News, Obama, Politics, Wnyc, Lizza, President

4.3 • 3.9K Ratings

🗓️ 4 February 2021

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For most of the twentieth century, the office was one of the centers of American life, and the joys and annoyances of life there have inspired works of art, from Melville’s “Bartleby, the Scrivener” to NBC’s “The Office.” But, last spring, in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, several businesses closed their offices and asked employees to work from home. Nearly a year later, many companies’ spaces remain closed to their staffs; it is unclear when they’ll be able to reopen, and how many workers can expect to return when they do. John Seabrook joins Dorothy Wickenden to discuss the past and future of office life—and the personal, economic, and demographic ramifications of remote work.

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Transcript

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1:11.4	This is the political scene, a weekly conversation with New Yorker writers and guests about politics.
1:17.5	It's Thursday, February 4th. I'm Dorothy Wickenden, executive editor of The New Yorker.
1:23.7	For most white-collar American workers, the office is a little like a home away from home.
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